January News 2006
January 31, 2006
Fort Minor on Much on Demand
posted by Jas, 01/31/06
Sorry for the late update, it's a long holiday here, we're celebrating the Chinese New Year, Gong Xi Fa Cai to all my Chinese friends and visitors. Anyway, back to work, Chicken32 reports that Fort Minor will be appearing on Much on Demand on Thursday Feb. 2
Fort Minor live in Kuala Lumpur
posted by Jas, 01/31/06
Details on Fort Minor's concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from Ticketcharge Malaysia. Click here to watch the ad for the concert. Thanks to Sufi for the tip.
Fort Minor on Mark Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure Soundtrack
posted by Jas, 01/31/06
Fort Minor's Myspace blog has been updated with news that Fort Minor's track, 'There They Go' is featured on the soundtrack to the new game Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. Details here
Brand new Fort Minor music
posted by Jas, 01/31/06
If you're a member of Fort Minor Militia, head over to FortMinorMilitia.com to download two new tracks called 'Do What We Did' and 'Kenji (Interview version). Please do not ask for or send me the files, I'm not posting anything exclusive from FMM. Thanks to MarissaE for the update.
Linkin Park coming to Russia
posted by Jas, 01/31/06
VetaLP reports that on January 29, local Russian radio station "Europe Plus" played tracks from Fort Minor's The Rising Tied album through out the day. There was a special interview with Mike Shinoda, where he said that he won't be able to come to Russia with Fort Minor but added that Linkin Park is planning to come as soon as the new album is released.
Mike interview in Folha de São Paulo
posted by Jas, 01/23/06
Wesley reports that there's an interview with Mike in the January 23rd issue of Folha de Sao Paulo (Brazil). Wesley is working on the translation, in the meantime here are the scans. Update: Here's the translation of the interview
Russian Alternative Music Award
posted by Jas, 01/31/06
Wesley and Narwa report that Linkin Park has been nominated for 2006 Russian Alternative Music Prize. Vote for Linkin Park here AND here, for the winner will headline the show.
FM Tour preview: Nokia Theatre, NY
posted by Jas, 01/31/06
From New Yorker: Broadway at 44th St. (212-307-7171) - Feb. 6: Mike Shinoda, of the squeaky-clean nu-metal band Linkin Park, recently recorded a solo album under the name Fort Minor to showcase his rapping and rhyming skills. He played most of the instruments on the record, "The Rising Tied," and he roped in respectable guests like Common and John Legend.
The Rising Tied review
posted by Jas, 01/31/06
Lorenzo reports that Ultimate Guitar has a review of Fort Minor's The Rising Tied album
January 28, 2006
Linkin Park's new album won't be hampered by Fort Minor tour
posted by Jas, 01/28/06
Blabbermouth has a quote from Mike about the new Linkin Park album which they're planning to get out this year.
Launch Radio Networks reports: Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda is about to hit the road with his rap side project, Fort Minor, but his main band's next album won't suffer as a result. Shinoda told Launch that Linkin Park is in the thick of preparing its third studio album and plans to keep working on it during the Fort Minor tour. 'We're kind of in the middle of writing it, and it's going really well," he said. "I would say that we're planning to get it out this year. So while I'm out with Fort Minor I'll be recording, well I should say writing, new Linkin Park stuff and swapping it back and forth with the guys. I think the guys have some plans for some of them to fly out her or there, spend a couple of day with me out on the road and we'll write some new stuff."
International M&G for LPU members at Fort Minor shows
posted by Jas, 01/28/06
This is for international LPU members, you should by now get the LPU newsletter containing instruction on how to request for a meet & greet pass for Fort Minor concert in your country. Fort Minor will be opening for 50 Cent in Taipei and Bangkok, and Money will be opening in Australia and New Zealand. If you're not selected, you can enter to win passes at www.fortminor.com/rememberthename as well as download the Remember The Name track for free.
Fort Minor live on Mancow
posted by Jas, 01/28/06
An update from FM Newsletter regarding FM performing on Mancow's Morning Madness on Monday, January 30.
Tune in at 9:00am CST (check your local affiliates for times) on Jan. 30 on your local radio station:
WKQX (101.1) Chicago, IL, XTRA (570) Los Angeles, CA, KCXM (97.3) Kansas City, MO, KFMS (97.5) Salt Lake City, UT, WROX (96.1) Norfolk-Virginia Beach, WNFZ (94.3) Knoxville, TN, KJLL (1330) Tucson, AZ, KRZR (103.7) Fresno, CA, KOMY (1340) Monterey-Salinas, CA, KKZR (93.3) Little Rock, AR, KQXR (100.3) Boise, ID, KZRQ (106.7) Springfield, MO, WWCT (96.5) Peoria, IL, WMZK (104.1) Wausau-Stevens Point, KAZR (103.3) Des Moines, IA, KZZE (106.3) Medford-Ashland, OR, WWRK (102.9) Florence, South Carolina, WEBX (93.5) Champaign, IL, WTAO (105.1) Marion-Carbondale, KJML (105.3) Joplin, MO, KWKJ (98.5) Windsor, MO
Fort Minor concert preview
posted by Jas, 01/28/06
Preview of Fort Minor concert from the Detroit News
As a classically-trained pianist who draws inspiration from Robert Altman films, Mike Shinoda is not your typical rapper. But it's his day job as one-fifth of Linkin Park that drew the attention of Jay-Z, who executive-produced the debut album from his side project, Fort Minor . "The Rising Tied," issued during the holidays and subsequently lost amid the flurry of marquee releases (it debuted inauspiciously at No. 60 on Billboard's Top 200), is a straight-up hip-hop affair on which Shinoda is free to explore his inner B-Boy in ways he cannot within the confines of Linkin Park. Sure, it's indulgent, but what rock-star vanity projects aren't?
Shinoda is more than capable on the microphone, and his clear, confident flow works well on tracks like the boastful "Remember the Name" and the surprisingly tender "Where'd You Go." It might not be long before people are asking the same question about Fort Minor; Shinoda has hinted this may be the group's only outing. Catch 'em while you can. Fort Minor performs with Little Brother at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Andrew's Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit. Tickets are $21. Call (313) 961-6358.
January 26, 2006
Fort Minor: We'll Sign Your Stuff
posted by Jas, 01/26/06
Another pre-concert, article/interview with Mike Shinoda aka "Oh my god, it's the rapper from Linkin Park". It's quite long so go here to read. And there's a short gig preview from Star Tribune
Fort Minor is the more rap-flavored side project of Linkin Park co-vocalist Mike Shinoda -- the one who doesn't pretend he can sing. The group's debut counts Common and Black Thought as guests and Jay-Z as executive producer, and at times it comes off as pretty convincing, laid-back hip-hop. But don't quit your day job, Mike. Little Brother opens. (7 p.m. Sat., Station 4. All ages. $20-$22.) (C.R.)
Fort Minor live on Mancow
posted by Jas, 01/26/06
In their latest Myspace blog entry, Mike says Fort Minor will be playing on the Mancow's show on Monday, January 30 at 8 am. Mike also said to tune in to the 2006 Winter X Games airs January 28 through January 31 on ESPN. Fort Minor tracks such as "Remember The Name", "Believe Me", "Petrified", "High Road", and "In Stereo" will be played throughout the show.
we're going to be playing MANCOW's show on monday morning. for those of you who get his show, listen for us at about 8am. i think we're only going to play one song, but it's going to be interesting: we've never played that early before! they asked if we could just use the instrumental and rap over it, but i politely asked if i could have the whole band play (all 11 of us), since that's how we do it on stage. they agreed, so we'll see how it turns out. it should be fun. see you out there on tour...
Fort Minor promises to bring a major show
posted by Jas, 01/26/06
And so it begins, Fort Minor will kick off their US tour on Saturday in Minneapolis, I will post any news, interviews and reviews when they are available. First we have is an interview with Mike from St. Paul Pioneer Press. Mike talked about the upcoming show and said that he's writing for Linkin Park while touring with Fort Minor. He can't say when the new album will be out but he did mention on the LPU board that Linkin Park will be at the Grammy on Feb 8 (woo!! hoo!! more pictures!) and they are going to make a small announcement to the press... hmm....
Saturday night's Fort Minor gig at Station 4 in downtown St. Paul is the group's first stop on its first U.S. tour. But it won't be a modest debut. "It's 11 people on stage," Fort Minor's leader Mike Shinoda said during a phone interview last week from Los Angeles. "It's me, three of the four guys from Styles of Beyond, a drummer, three string players and three backup vocalists. "It's a really big show. In fact, my agent said, based on the ticket price I want to offer, even if I sell out every single venue, I'm not going to make any money. So I'm paying for these shows — but I feel strongly about the music and I want people to really experience what the album is all about."
"I was really picky about what went onto the record, but at the same time I wanted to have fun," said the 28-year-old California native. "My goal was to get back to my roots. Hip-hop is the only music that I've listened to consistently throughout my life. Run DMC's 'Raising Hell' was the first record I bought, and I fell in love with it instantly."
So far, "Rising Tied" has found its biggest success outside the United States, hitting the top of the charts across Europe and even in far-off locales like South Africa. "We've already toured overseas, and after the current run we're going to Asia — it's a huge record over there," Shinoda said. "We wanted to be very deliberate and cautious in the States. I don't want Fort Minor to come off as just a Linkin Park spinoff — it's basically an alternative to what's going on in the rest of hip-hop."
As for Linkin Park, fans can expect a new album by the end of the year. "I wish I could tell you when," he said. "But I'm writing for Linkin Park while I'm touring with Fort Minor. That's what I'll be doing on the bus." -- Full interview
Albums to look for in 2006
posted by Jas, 01/26/06
Buffalo News has a list of albums to look for in 2006 and Linkin Park's new release is on their list.
Linkin Park: After a three-year period of nothing new, can Linkin Park keep going? Its last album sold more than 10 million copies, but hatred of the band has increased greatly since 2003. Its collaboration with Jay Z was less than stunning. Hopefully this new album will show the band's true talents once again.
January 24, 2006
Making the Video: 'Where'd You Go'
posted by Jas, 01/24/06
Ender reports that Holly Brook has updated her journal saying that she had shot the video for Fort Minor's 'Where'd You Go' last week
Last week we shot the video for "Where'd You Go" and that was a great time. I had never done a video shoot before and was surprised to see how much shooting was actually done.... Most of the time was spent on doing hair and makeup, fixing the lights, etc. Actual on camera time was minimal, but fun. Can't wait to see the finished piece! Also teenpeople.com was there covering the shoot, so they will have footage up on their website soon.
Speaking of Holly, Wisconsin State Journal has an an interview with her where she talked about how she got started and so on.
She would be still knocking on record company doors if it weren't for help from rock-rap kings Linkin Park. The band's guitarist heard her demo - the opposite end of the pop music spectrum from Linkin Park's primal sound - and signed her to Linkin Park's record company. As a result, powerhouse Warner Bros. Records will release and support "Like Blood Like Honey." "I'm really, really lucky," Brook said from her Los Angeles apartment. "They'll push it to radio and MTV and see what happens. I just want to get my music out there for people."
Next month, after two New York shows, she'll join Fort Minor, a rap-rock offshoot of Linkin Park on a large club tour. She is featured prominently on Fort Minor's next single. By April, she'll be back on her own tour.
Update on new LP album from Rob
What's up Linkin Park Fans. I know it's been a long time since we've had a chance to see you guys face to face. I miss playing shows and look forward to seeing all you of you in mid-late '06.
"We have been writing new songs for the next [Linkin Park] album for the last three months or so. We have been working in pairs out of our home studios and trading ideas with each other every few weeks. Now that we have a bunch of material, we are going to head into a pre-production studio where we will all be working together. We have three separate rooms to work out of at the studio, which is really cool because we can still work individually if we need to. I personally like taking song ideas and working on the drums for a while on my own before letting the other guys hear what I have come up with. Songs can be passed around from room to room so each of us can add in our part. Since we are all there together we can help each other to develop each of our parts and create the best songs possible. It is the ultimate creative environment for how we write music, since we write by recording into a computer, not by jamming together. We currently have around 50 rough ideas for songs, which will be narrowed down to about 15 when we enter the recording studio. We are very excited about the work we have done so far, and working hard to get it done so you guys can hear it. Look for more info on our new album in the coming months on LinkinPark.com.
"As I'm sure you already know, Mike [Shinoda] is doing his own solo project Fort Minor. It's different than Linkin Park's music as it is a hip-hop album. 'The Rising Tied' is an incredible album. I think it's one of the best albums of the year, and I'm not just saying that because Mike is my friend. Mike's been incredibly busy because not only has he been promoting his Fort Minor album and writing with us for the upcoming Linkin Park album, but he's about to go out on the road for a U.S. and Canada tour, as well as international touring in Taiwan and Thailand (with 50 Cent) and headlining shows in Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. Our own Machine Shop artist Holly Brook who sings on the Fort Minor track 'Where'd You Go' will be joining him to perform that song live on the road for all the U.S./Canada dates. Not only will the Fort Minor Militia fan club get chances to meet them out on tour at meet & greets, we're also inviting the LPU members of Linkin Park's fan club to participate in these meet & greets and presales for all the shows. Check out the Fort Minor Media Player for tour date info and to view Fort Minor videos for 'Remember the Name' and 'Petrified'."
January 23, 2006
LP new album release date
Another venue change for Fort Minor tour
Mike interview in Folha de São Paulo
Video Download: Fort Minor on CD USA
Mike Shinoda picture spam!
More promo pic of Mike for Fort Minor's tour in London and Germany last year, thanks to Josh for the tip
I've also added these four pics of Fort Minor on TRL UK in November last year
and these three from the Hamburg, Germany concert
Jay-Z plus Linkin Park equals Fort Minor
Would you call Fort Minor an attempt to distance yourself from Linkin Park?
Are you enjoying getting back to slightly more intimate venues on tour?
January 21, 2006
Video Download: Mike's message about Fort Minor tour
Fort Minor coming
Fort Minor, the hip-hop side project of Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda, play an all-ages show in Auckland on March 7. Now, Shinoda isn't just some uppity little rocker who decided he wanted to get into rap now that he's made a bit of money. This guy has big ups from the best in the hip-hop business, namely rapper Jay Z, who executive-produces Fort Minor's debut album, Rising Tied.
Jay Z worked with Shinoda in the past when he collaborated with Linkin Park on 2004's Collision Course album. Although Shinoda is almost single handedly responsible for the Fort Minor album, in a live environment they are most definitely a band. Featuring three MCs, a DJ, three backing vocalists, a live drummer, three strings players, and Shinoda as leader, it should be an experience. Fort Minor play the St James Theatre on March 7.
The Rising Tied review
Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park fame has been busy with a little project of his own and Fort Minor's debut album is really, really special. It may only come in a simple CD jacket but Shinoda has put a lot of effort in this album and it shows. After all, it's not easy to step out of the shadow of a successful group such as Linkin Park. Shinoda did not work alone. His group of guest artistes helped make Rising Tied a quality album. That it is a labour of love is emphasised on the track Remember the Name where Shinoda states "This is 10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will, 5% pleasure, 50% pain and 100% reason to remember the name."
Another track worth mentioning is Kenji. This is the most personalised track on the album where he talks about the US internment of Japanese citizens during World War II. Shinoda got his father and aunt (both of whom spent time in relocation camps) to share their experiences and added their stories onto the track. Another great track on the album is Where'd You Go which is reminiscent of Eminem's When I'm Gone, except that the track is given a more melancholic feel with guest artiste Holly Brook's vocals. I can go on and on about how good this album is but I'm only allocated so much space. Get the album and judge it for yourself.
Despite the fact that his name isn't on the front cover, however, "The Rising Tied" is clearly Mike Shinoda's baby. He mixed, produced, wrote the songs, played practically all of the instruments-he even did the artwork! You have to agree, that's a lot of hats-and he wears them all with aplomb! -- Full review
Linkin Park goes Sundance
2006 Asian Excellence Awards
January 20, 2006
Happy Birthday Rob!
Video Download: Fort Minor on Jay Leno
Linkin Park won Asian Excellence Awards
Linkin Park on "CD USA"?
Fort Minor Detroit venue change
Linkin Park coming to Russia
Fort Minor is a stronghold for hip-hop
Within the first minutes of Fort Minor's The Rising Tied, it becomes obvious: Mike Shinado was the better half of Linkin Park.Make no mistake about it, Shinado's album-under the moniker Fort Minor-is a solo project and an epitome at that: Shinado seems to have his hand in everything on the album except the shrink-wrapping. He produced every beat, played every instrument, wrote every rhyme and even crafted the illustration for the cover.
The result is a full-blown hip-hop effort in which Shinado plays both emcee and producer-and does a surprisingly solid job. His rhymes are highly personal and refreshingly imaginative. In "Kenji," he retells touching family history, and in "Cigarettes," the tobacco industry becomes an analogy for hip-hop. The beats on Rising Tied are fresh hip-hop bangers full of diverse instrumentation. And when hip-hop notables Common, John Legend and Black Thought appear on the album, Rising Tied seems to have it all-even Jay-Z as executive producer.
Unfortunately, somewhere during the second half, the album becomes redundant. Shinado's personal rhymes seem like over-sharing, and his creative efforts are dulled. Whether you love them or hate them, forget what you know about Linkin Park-Fort Minor's is a far-removed sound worth checking out. Three stars out of five. -- Marshal Hogan
January 19, 2006
Video Download: Live 8 interview
Mike and Chester's nominations for the Pantheon Award
January 17, 2006
An interview with Mike
January 16, 2006
Fort Minor to appear on "CD USA"
Fort Minor on Jay Leno on Wednesday
Fort Minor contest
posted by Jas, 01/24/06
Here's an official statement from Rob regarding the new Linkin Park album via the LP Newsletter:
posted by Jas, 01/23/06
Now don't anyone get excited yet, you know how it is when it comes to album release date, we'll hear like a gazillion rumours before we get an official word. Anyway, we heard Mike said in his interview on CD USA that the new Linkin Park album is coming out this year but didn't say when, LPClub.org reports that MTV Italy has a list of bands and their upcoming new releases and it says Linkin Park's new album will be released on May 26 (click on page 4).
posted by Jas, 01/23/06
According to FortMinor.com, the venue for the January 28 concert in St Paul, Minneapolis has been moved to Station 4.
posted by Jas, 01/23/06
Wesley reports that there's an interview with Mike in the January 23rd issue of Folha de Sao Paulo (Brazil). Wesley is working on the translation, in the meantime here are the scans.
posted by Jas, 01/23/06
Lovely Serein has captured Mike's interview on CD USA as well as Fort Minor's performance on the show last Saturday. Mike said the new LP album will be out this year. Download video here or here. Thanks Serein.
posted by Jas, 01/23/06
Here are all pics of Mike (and Joe) from various sources from last week's events
posted by Jas, 01/22/06
The Columbia Chronicle has an interview with Mike
I don't mind the association so much as I want to just get back to those roots and show everybody what I do on my own. Although I am versatile and do different kinds of music, given the opportunity to do an album on my own, this is what I came up with.
Actually, I enjoy the arenas, but I am really excited to see the fans face-to-face and get the opportunity to actually spend some time with people. It's been some time since we did that. I had joked with the guys [in Linkin Park] that I was going to write an album that I could go around and do some small shows with. I was going to write a bunch of pop-punk songs, and we were going to play in a joke band and put masks over our heads and play only 100- to 200-feet rooms. They thought the idea was funny, but obviously no one really went through with it. -- Full interview
posted by Jas, 01/21/06
Just got the FM Newsletter with links to Mike's message to the fans about the upcoming Fort Minor U.S. and international tour. This is your only chance to see the band perform live in your city or country because as Mike said on FM Myspace blog that they won't be touring much on the album so go see them while you can. Watch video in windows: 56, 100, 300, 450 or download quicktime version here (right click and save)
posted by Jas, 01/21/06
New Zealand Herald has a mention of Fort Minor upcoming concert in Auckland on March 7
posted by Jas, 01/21/06
Reviews of Fort Minor's The Rising Tied album from The Star
posted by Jas, 01/21/06
Asianweek has a mention of Joe's short film "The Seed" which he hopes to debut at the Sundance Film Festival, well the festival is now on and I've checked it's not listed anywhere. What happen?
posted by Jas, 01/21/06
Mike has posted his comments on the Asian Excellence Awards where he and Fort Minor performed. Mike and Joe accepted the Outstanding Live Performance award on behalf of Linkin Park
posted by Jas, 01/20/06
Hey today is Rob's birthday, he turns 27 today, Happy Birthday Rob.
posted by Jas, 01/20/06
My friend Serein has captured Fort Minor's performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno the other day, singing 'Remember The Name', look ma, no cap :-) download video here or here. Thanks Serein.
posted by Jas, 01/20/06
PR Newswire has the results of the 2006 Asian Excellence Awards which honors outstanding achievements of Asians and Asian Americans in entertainment, music, and science. Linkin Park has won the award for Outstanding Live Performance. Report says Fort Minor performed at the event. So happy that Kung Fu Hustle won Best Picture, if you haven't seen it yet go see, it's hilarious!! The taped event will air on AZN Television Sunday, January 29 at 8:00 p.m. EST/PST.
posted by Jas, 01/20/06
Don't forget to those who can get Direct TV, Fort Minor is one of the artists to perform on the special show called CD USA. It will premiere tomorrow on Channel 101 for Direct TV in the USA at 6PM ET/3 PM PT. The Los Angeles Times has a report about the show saying that it will feature interviews, behind-the-scenes reports and performances by as many as seven bands per episode, including big-name acts such as the Goo Goo Dolls, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Linkin Park.. Don't know if they mean Fort Minor or we will be seeing Linkin Park in the coming episodes.
posted by Jas, 01/20/06
From FortMinor.com: The Fort Minor show on Tuesday, January 31 has moved from Clutch Cargo to St. Andrew's Hall in Detroit, MI. Please note that all tickets from Clutch Cargo will be honored.
posted by Jas, 01/20/06
The St. Petersburg Times reports that concert promoters plan to bring more foreign acts to perform in Russia this year and rumour has it that Linkin Park might come to Russia. Don't anybody celebrate yet, it's just a rumour for now.
posted by Jas, 01/20/06
A review of Fort Minor's "The Rising Tied" from Daily Utah Chronicle
posted by Jas, 01/19/06
I recorded this short interview with Mike during the Live 8 concert from MTV Asia but wasn't able to make a digital clip of it at the time because of some problem with my capturing software. It's fixed now so download clip here, sorry about the quality.
posted by Jas, 01/18/06
Claire from New Pantheon Music Prize informed me that you can now check out Mike's and Chester's nominations for the New Pantheon Music Prize. The prestigious award honour the most creative and artistic albums of the year. See Mike's nomination here and Chester's here. To listen to some of the tracks from the nominees, lauch this player
posted by Jas, 01/17/06
Julia has translated an interview with Mike from the January 4th issue of Yam magazine (Germany)
posted by Jas, 01/16/06
Eva reports that Fort Minor is one of the artists to perform on a special show called CD USA. It premieres this Saturday, January 21 on Channel 101 for Direct TV in the USA at 6PM ET/3 PM PT. Check out the CD USA website frequently this week for updates. Click here to get tickets for the taping of the show on Thursday, Jan 19. You must be over 16 years old and be there by 4:30 pm. Thanks Eva.
posted by Jas, 01/16/06
EagleMorph at the FM board reports that Fort Minor will appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Wednesday, January 18 at 11:35 pm on NBC, please check local listings.
posted by Jas, 01/16/06
andPOP is giving away a signed CD, 2 Fort Minor Mixtapes, and a sticker pack to one winner. A runner-up will win the mixtapes, and a second runner-up gets a sticker pack. Details here
A feast of live music in Bangkok
posted by Jas, 01/15/06
Bangkok Post has a report on the upcoming concerts in the city in the coming months including 50 Cent & Fort Minor's concert on February 26
Who: 50 Cent and Fort Minor
When: February 26. Doors open at 4pm, and the show starts at 6pm.
Where: Aktiv Square, Impact, Muang Thong Thani.
Price: 2,500, 1,500, 1,000 and 600 baht
You might have to take that into consideration when the next day is a double bill featuring 50 Cent and Fort Minor. Surely, hip hop kids will rush out to get tickets faster than you can say "MTV Rap". One of the biggest hip hop stars, 50 Cent will share the bill with Fort Minor, the new project of Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda. Known for his true gangsta style and beatific rhythms, 50 Cent tunes such as In Da Club and Wanksta have been heard at RCA for as long as the Thai government's been in debt.
The Rising Tied review
posted by Jas, 01/16/06
A review of Fort Minor's The Rising Tied album from UGO
Given the way in which Linkin Park has embraced the rap side of the rap-rock equation, it was inevitable that the band - or, one of its members, anyway - would just go all the way and record a hip-hop album. Unsurprisingly, the member in question is Mike Shinoda, who lent his MC skills to Linkin Park's previous efforts. With the help of the estimable Jay-Z ,Shinoda has unleashed his showcase debut, The Rising Tied, under the name Fort Minor. And, for the most part, the music justifies the move.
To be sure, this record is Shinoda's show from start to finish, as he's not only the main man on the microphone, but also heads up all the production duties. As such, he gets a lot of praise for the record's strengths, as he's churned out some chunky beats, with a perhaps-unexpected rock influence, and has a decent enough flow. On the other hand, he also has to shoulder some of the blame for its faults, which boil down to a general thin feeling to some of the music and Shinoda's somewhat limited verbal skills. Honestly, it wouldn't be that much of an issue, except that there are some great guest stars on this album, such as Common, Black Thought (of the Roots) and the MCs from Style of Beyond (who are all over this record), and when he's trading verses with them, Shinoda comes off a bit lacking. I guess having cool friends can be a double-edged sword.
Still, this is an admirable effort, and there are more than a couple tracks that are worth repeated listening. The highlight is definitely "Remember the Name," which features a catchy-as-hell strings-based hook and lyrics that put a fresh slant on the "I'm a really good musician/rapper" formula. What's notable is that it really seems like Shinoda has something to say in his rhymes, which is more than can be said for a lot of other artists out there. He may not have the most personality in the world as an MC or producer, but he gets his point across. That may sound like somewhat faint praise, but given that a lot of Shinoda's contemporaries don't even have a point to get across in the first place, it's not. Ratings: Lyrics: B+, Music: B-, Overall: B. Standout Tracks: Remember the Name, Cigarettes, Right Now
January 15, 2006
Chester and Joe at Korn tour launch party
posted by Jas, 01/15/06
Chester and Joe and their significant others attended Korn's tour launch party at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in LA on Friday the 13th. Thanks to everyone who wrote in.
Interview with Ne-yo
posted by Jas, 01/15/06
Sejhawk2 reports that AOL Black Voices has recently done an interview with hip hop artist Ne-yo. In one of the questions he mentions Fort Minor.
You've said that the Rat Pack is an influence on your music. Is that one of the ways that growing up in Vegas has influenced you?
Yeah, definitely. I didn't get too hip to none of that stuff until I got to Las Vegas. I always thought it was weird until I sat down and listened to it. What I'm currently listening to for influences is Mike Shinoda's (Linkin Park) side project, 'Fort Minor.' That album is ridiculous. Chris Brown, Mary's new one is crazy, Jamie Foxx, lots of Coldplay, Switchfoot, Norah Jones. I like to switch it up. You have to broaden your horizon sometimes.
Getting inside Shinoda's world
posted by Jas, 01/15/06
Malay Mail Online has an interview with Mike where he talked about Fort Minor and Mike also said that the new Linkin Park album will be co-produced by him and another producer who they have yet to pick
I read that, you will be producing the next LP album. From a producer's point of view, have you figured out the direction of the album? As an emcee, what more can you bring to the next LP album and as a unit, how do you see LP raising the bar?
I will be sharing credit with another producer, who we have yet to pick. The previous albums had a 'produced by Linkin Park' credit, and the rest of the band agreed that I deserved that credit. I'm very flattered by the gesture, and I plan to do what I always do; help craft the songs into something powerful and special, something that will touch people. In general, I would say that the labels of 'nu metal' and 'rap rock' are old and outdated. If you notice, our last album had songs like Breaking The Habit. And you'd be silly to call that 'rap rock.' We will continue to move in that direction, to make music that defies the conventional genres. -- Full interview
Dimebag Darrel art tribute
posted by Jas, 01/15/06
Members of Linkin Park, Metallica, Korn among others have joined forces for an art exhibit in remembrance of late Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell and to support music education. Full details
Underworld: Evolution soundtrack review
posted by Jas, 01/15/06
A review of the Underworld: Evolution soundtrack from Boston Herald
Industrial, metal, goth and remixed emo-punk are all represented on the doom-and-gloom soundtrack to this "Matrix"-like sci-fi thriller sequel. Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington makes his solo debut here, sounding tortured on "Morning After," a tech-metal track that owes as much to Duran Duran as to Nine Inch Nails. There also are new tracks by Meat Beat Manifesto and Puscifer, featuring Tool's Maynard James Keenan and ex-NIN guitarist Danny Lohner, and turbo-charged remixes of hits by My Chemical Romance and Hawthorne Heights. Among the best is a dark reworking of Slipknot's "Vermillon Pt. 2." Download: "Suicide."
January 13, 2006
Head to Head: Wiley and Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda
posted by Jas, 01/13/06
RWD magazine has posted an interview with Mike Shinoda.
Wiley: What one thing got you on the path to making music?
Shinoda: Man, that is a good question. Well, just really simply, one of the first records I ever got was Raising Hell from Run DMC. At that point I didn't know anything about music, I just heard it and I said 'Hmmm, that's what I like.' I didn't have any other friends that listened to hip hop, I just caught it on the radio or Yo MTV Raps.
Wiley: How did you link up with Jay-Z?
Shinoda: Jay had been asked by MTV to do a show where they brought one of his mash-ups on stage. He said he wanted to do it with Linkin Park. I was really excited about it, I've been into Jay since his first record. But instead of sending him back an answer, I bought his acapella album, made two songs and sent that back to him. We decided 'This is how it's going to be done.' It was either win or lose– either he was gonna put us straight and say 'Nah, this can't happen, or do what actually happened and say, 'Sh*t this is really exciting.' He was really into it.
Wiley: Some albums have random executive producers. Lil Kim's album has Biggie as executive producer but he's passed away now. So was Jay there to add credibility?
Shinoda: People have asked me about that. I'd be stupid if I said that Jay's name doesn't add value but look at it from my perspective. It would be a waste for me to bring Jay onboard without him giving me some input. Bottom line the guy has a really great ear for music and that's why I wanted him to listen to the stuff and get his opinion on what he heard. -- Full interview
January 12, 2006
Holly Brook to tour with Fort Minor
posted by Jas, 01/12/06
According to Holly Brook's MySpace blog, she will join Fort Minor on the band's US and Canada tour where she will perform 'Where'd You Go' with Fort Minor. The track has now been added to the Fort Minor Player. Thanks to Chris for the tip. Update: Seems everyone is into blogging these days, Machine Shop Marketing too has a blog on My Space, click here to add them as your friend.
Linkin Park nominated for 2006 Asian Excellence Awards
posted by Jas, 01/12/06
Press release about the 2006 Asian Excellence Awards which honors outstanding achievements of Asians and Asian Americans in entertainment, music, and science. Linkin Park has been nominated for Outstanding Live Performance. The show will be aired on on AZN Television, the channel for Asian America, on Sunday, January 29 at 8:00 p.m. EST/PST.
January 11, 2006
FM Fanclub presale tickets: What's the password
posted by Jas, 01/11/06
The Fort Minor presale concert tickets for Singapore is now open for LPU and FM Militia club members at www.sistic.com, I'm trying to buy a ticket but what's the password? I haven't received anything from LPU, someone please help!
New FM date for San Francisco
posted by Jas, 01/10/06
Fort Minor has added a new show on Tuesday, Feb 21 at the Fillmore in San Francisco, CA
Fort Minor Militia members will have access to fanclub presale tickets for this San Francisco show from Thursday, Jan 12 @ 10am PST to Saturday, Jan 14 at 5pm PST, while public onsale tickets will be available starting Sunday, Jan 15 at 10am PST. If you're not already a Fort Minor Militia member, join now and get the fanclub presale password to buy presale tickets for Fort Minor shows.
January 10, 2006
Fort Minor's Thailand concert ad
posted by Jas, 01/10/06
Ammie sends a link to an ad for 50 Cent & Fort Minor's concert in Bangkok, Thailand on February 26. Click here to watch or download here (right click link and save).
Linkin Park Unplugged
posted by Jas, 01/10/06
Wesley reports that MTV Germany is having a poll to find out which band people wants to see onn MTV Unplugged, Rammstein, Coldplay or Linkin Park?
January 9, 2006
Listen to 'Morning After' and the entire Underworld Evolution album
posted by Jas, 01/09/06
Tony Harris, working with Lakeshore Records promo department, informed me that you can now listen to Chester's 'Morning After' track and the entire Underwold Evolution soundtrack album on AOL Music. The album comes out tomorrow, January 10. It also features new exclusive tracks from My Chemical Romance, Hawthorne Heights, Alkaline Trio, Lacuna Coil, Trivium, and Maynard from Tool's Pucifer which you can also listen to at Myspace. You can buy the album at Lakeshore Records or Amazon.com. Click here to watch the movie trailer.
Miami Vice trailer review
posted by Jas, 01/09/06
A review of the Miami Vice trailer from NY Metro
Miami Vice
Tagline: "Smooth, that's how we do it."
Translation: "Smoothies, that's how chunky Colin Farrell did it."
The Gist: Yes, Jamie Foxx looks great in his lightweight suits, and yes, Farrell's husky—but not to ill effect. It's his bit of dialogue ("Verboten"?) that's preposterous. Meanwhile, the soundtrack—Jay-Z and Linkin Park—actually cues images to match lyrics like "wave" and "Boeing jets." The full effect: a video on MTV2.
January 8, 2006
Audio Download: Chester's 'The Morning After'
posted by Jas, 01/08/06
Circuit City has a 30 second clip of Chester's solo track, 'The Morning After' from the Underworld Evolution soundtrack which will be out on January 10. Darth Yak has captured it and is available for download here. Update: Hahninator reports that he has sent the full CD quality rip of the song to LPA, download here... can you hear the Depeche Mode influence? thanks Hahninator.
Far from a rapper's delight
posted by Jas, 01/08/06
The Jakarta Post has posted this review of Fort Minor's "The Rising Tied" album [rolls eyes]
The Rising Tied is another vehicle through which Shinoda unleashes his dexterous hip-hop talents. In spite of the rap star line-up and a squeaky clean production, The Rising Tied sounds like Linkin Park stripped off their rock sound. Shinoda's rapping does not depart from his routine in Linkin Park and the only occasional delight in the album is the candy-coated keyboard line that punctuates a number of songs. Otherwise, it is boring. Shinoda better think about returning to his day job with Linkin Park. -- M. Taufiqurrahman. -- Full review
January 7, 2006
Official international tour dates for Fort Minor
posted by Jas, 01/07/06
Finally, Fort Minor has officially released the tour dates for their Australia, New Zealand and Asian tour. They will open for 50 Cents in Taiwan and Thailand and headline the rest of the tour. Fan club presale tickets are open to fan club members from the FM Militia and Linkin Park Underground. As for meet and greet passes, if you are an LPU or FMM member some passes have been reserved for you, stay tuned for more info, woo!! hoo!!
February 24 - Taipei Soccer Stadium, Taipei, Taiwan
Tickets are on sale now
February 26 - Aktive Square, Nonthaburi, Bangkok, Thailand
Tickets on sale on January 13
February 28 - Bukit Kiara Indoor Venue, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Ticket sale to be announced
March 1 - Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore
Presale tickets for club members is on Jan 11 at 10 am, public sale from Jan 13
March 3 - The Arena, Fortitude Valley QLD, Australia
General presale tickets for club members is on Jan 16 and 18, public sale from Jan 23
March 4 - Enmore Theatre, Newtown NSW, Australia
General presale tickets for club members is on Jan 16 and 18, public sale from Jan 23
March 5 - The Palace, St Kilda VIC, Australia
General presale tickets for club members is on Jan 16 and 18, public sale from Jan 23
March 7 - The St James Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand
General presale tickets for club members is on Jan 16 and 18, public sale from Jan 23
Fort Minor to rock Kuala Lumpur
posted by Jas, 01/07/06
The Star has a report on Fort Minor's upcoming concert in KL, Malaysia. Ticket sales will be announced next week (thanks SJ)
Fort Minor, the solo project of Linkin Park co-founder/rapper Mike Shinoda, is the first confirmed major international concert of the year here as the rap rock outfit plays the Indoor Arena, Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort on Feb 28. Lushington Entertainments, a regional events organiser based in Singapore, announced Fort Minor's first dates in Asia, which kicks off in Kuala Lumpur followed by the Singapore Indoor Stadium on March 1.
As a live touring unit, Shinoda appears in Kuala Lumpur with the five-piece Fort Minor line-up, including rappers Tak and Ryu. The Los Angeles-based Shinoda has proven his versatility with Fort Minor, a project that has spawned the debut album The Rising Tied and modern rock singles Believe Me and Remember The Name. Fort Minor's The Rising Tied, released by Warner Malaysia, has reached gold sales status with 15,000 units sold since its release last November. Ticket details and outlets for Fort Minor's Kuala Lumpur concert will be announced next week.
Interview with Mike
posted by Jas, 01/07/06
G4TV has an exclusive interview with Mike, where he talks Fort Minor, music, and video games. Read here
January 6, 2006
Video: Chester at Fort Minor concert
posted by Jas, 01/06/06
Someone has posted a video clip of brother Chester joining brother Mike singing Enth E Nd at Fort Minor's MySpace concert last October. Thanks to Rene for the tip. Update: Chesterchaz has converted the clip captured by -untitled- to mpg format and is available for download here and here.
Fort Minor live in Singapore Update
posted by Jas, 01/06/06
An update on the Fort Minor's concert in Singapore on March 1, tickets will go onsale from January 13 onwards. Today's local paper the Straits Times has posted this review of Fort Minor's "The Rising Tied" album
Granted he isn't a gifted rapper like Eminem or even Jay-Z (who executive produced the album), but clearly, Linkin Park's emcee Mike Shinoda hasn't allowed that to come in the way of his solo debut project. Featuring quest spots from Common, Styles of Beyond, The Roots and John Legend, this may sound like an indulgent mega-star get-together, but the truth hits closer to home.
The Rising Tied is very personal labour of love for the sansei (third-generation Japanese American) whose father was interned during World War II. Embracing both family history and recordings of his relatives, the standout track Kenji exemplifies Shinoda's righteous and palatable amalgam of hip-hop, electronica and rock, giving voice to honest thoughts on racism and war. Political messages aside, Linkin Park fans will take to catchy singalongs like Petrified and Where'd You Go while pogo-ing mad. 3 stars out of five.
And another review from Montgomery Advertiser
Between "Hybrid Theory" in 2000 and "Collision Course," last year's mash-up collaboration with Jay Z, Linkin Park paddled deeper into the hip-hop end of the electro-metal-rap pool. So why is Linkin leader Mike Shinoda's "Fort Minor" hip-hop project a shock? Not because the singer/multi-instrumentalist played and wrote nearly every bit of "Tied," but because he has made a ruminative, sonically fried record as dense and darkly emotional -- without pretense -- as anything nu-metal has thrown up. There are some vocal assists from Common, Black Thought and John Legend, and an exec producer credit for Hova. But "Fort Minor" is Shinoda's drama. System of a Down may be hypnotizing, but Shinoda rapturously captures your attention in a way you won't sleep through.
January 5, 2006
Fort Minor live in Singapore
posted by Jas, 01/05/06
He's coming! he's coming! [faints] LOL... Mike and Fort Minor will be in Singapore for a live concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on March 1st at 8 pm. Suzie has typed up this info from today's Today paper. Thanks Suzie.
What: Fort Minor Live in Singapore
Where: Singapore Indoor Stadium
When: March 1, 8 pm
Ticket Price: $68 (free standing), $58 and $38 from Sistic outlets (excluding $2 Sistic charge)
Review of The Rising Tied
posted by Jas, 01/05/06
A review of Fort Minor's "The Rising Tied" album from IGN
In the end The Rising Tied would have benefited greatly from some outside production. While Shinoda's beats aren't terrible, they too often resonate with a uniform detached sensibility that prevents much of the album from becoming truly funkdafied or boom-bap-a-rific. Shinoda has a solid verbal presence, but it ends up feeling as if he spread himself a little too thin by not only being the main MC and lyricist, but also the producer and mixer to boot. That said there are some genuine moments of surprise and swiftness proving that regardless of his ongoing rock affiliation, Shinoda is a true rap fan and not just some bandwagon buster. -- Full review
Chat with Bobo, Tak and Ryu
posted by Jas, 01/05/06
There will be a chat with Bobo and Tak and Ryu at FortMinor.com and FortMinorMilitia.com respectively. Details here
January 4, 2006
Warner Bros. Records Ends 2005 in Top Sales Slot
posted by Jas, 01/04/06
Market Wire reports that Warner Bros. Records ends 2005 in top sales slot according to Soundscan figures released this week. They have 16 number 1 albums which include Jay-Z & Linkin Park's "Collision Course" album. The CC DVD was the number one Music DVD of the Year with more than 1.5 million copies sold.
AOL's Best of 2005
posted by Jas, 01/04/06
Nagawa reports that Fort Minor's 'Believe Me' single is on AOL's Editor's pick for Must-Listens of the Year.
"10. Fort Minor, 'Believe Me' - Everyone seems to have a side project, and I'm not a HUGE fan of Linkin Park, nor was I really into what I heard from Fort Minor, until I heard this song. 'Believe Me' is just a really catchy song. And when they came in for their AOL Sessions performance, they wowed all of us."
Review of The Rising Tied
posted by Jas, 01/04/06
A review of Fort Minor's "The Rising Tied" album from Urban Wire
Fort Minor's debut album, The Rising Tied, reflects reality with a painful clarity – the kind of truth you wish you can escape. Unlike most hip-hop albums, this album incorporates much use of Shinoda's piano skills and live orchestral strings to achieve a cinematic effect that helps bring across the stories in the lyrics, like in his hit single 'Remember The Name', whose loop is a hard strings tune. Intricately pieced and off-beat tempos for the different tunes in all the tracks is what gives the album it's head-bopping feel. This album is recommended not only to Linkin Park and Jay-Z fans, but also to people who've gone through all sorts of rejection, condescendence and suffering; The Rising Tied would definitely be an aerial to their emotions.On the other hand, those who need some direction and clarity in their lives will find this album as a well of thoughts in a desert of numbness. -- Full review
January 3, 2006
Happy New Year
posted by Jas, 01/03/06
Happy New Year to friends, visitors and everyone in the planet. It's gonna be a good 2006 for us, lots to look forward to, Linkin Park will start the year with a Grammy nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for 'Numb/Encore'. The 48th Annual Grammy Awards will be telecast live on CBS on February 8, 2006 at 8 pm ET/PT. The guys are currently in the studio recording the new album which is expected to be released in the middle of the year. Chester's solo track called 'Morning After' featuring Julien-K is included in the "Underworld: Evolution" soundtrack to be released on January 10. If everything goes according to plan we will see Joe's short film called "The Seed" at this year's Sundance Film Festival which will be held on January 19 - 29 in Park City, Utah. Mike and Fort Minor is expected to do a small tour of Australia and Asia sometime in February and March.
Review of The Rising Tied
posted by Jas, 01/03/06
A review of Fort Minor's "The Rising Tied" album from Denver Post
While they all leave their mark on this debut, it's obviously Shinoda's record. Chester Bennington is the vocalist who softened the band's sound, while Shinoda was always the more hip-hop of the two. Most exciting about "Rising Tied" is hearing Shinoda without those pop leanings. Clearly an underground hip-hop record with mainstream aspirations, this still has shades of Linkin Park: big, looming beats and literate, piano-fronted production. Shinoda played virtually every instrument and handled all the sequencing and programming. Musically and thematically, the result is a far more mature banger of an album.
